Therizinosaurus
'' Therizinosaurus, also called The Giant Claw, was a species of theropod dinosaur. Therizinosaurus ''was one of the last and largest representatives of its unique group, the Therizinosauria. Facts Over 12 meters long and 7 meters high, and weighing up to 10 tons, ''Therizinosaurus lived in Mongolia, )]] Asia.The claws that ''Therizinosaurus possessed could be as long as 70 cm-1.5 m. long and were the biggest known claws of any animal after the less-known Deinocheirus. In fact, when they were first discovered, they were thought to be ribs of a giant tortoise, and were recognized as claws only later. When their claws were first discovered by paleontologists in the 1950s, they were so extraordinary, the paleontologists thought that they were ribs of a giant turtle. But later, it was found that they were attached to arms 3 m. (10 ft) long, the longest arms of any creature ever found. And paleontologists called the creature “''Therizinosaurus''” or “''The Scythe Lizard''”. At first, scientist thought its claws belonged to a meat-eating dinosaur, but it turns out Therizinosaurus, having a long neck and tiny head and those great claws at the front, had been a plant-eater, not a predator, and used their huge claws to drag leaves towards their mouths. These dinosaurs also lived in herds. They were the oddest of dinosaurs: great long necks for reaching up for vegetation; pot bellies – great fermentation chambers for the tons of vegetation they had to eat; and four-toed feet (instead of the traditional three toes on other dinosaurs) to prevent the animal from sinking into any soft sand. Their huge claws weren't for killing, although they could discourage even a huge Tarbosaurus. As scary as they may have looked, therizinosaurs were gentle creatures. Therizinosaurus used its long neck to reach higher branches in trees, where it would nibble leaves with its small, beak-like mouth. Also, it could probably hook branches down with its great claws, or use them to strip bark off the tree trunks. )]] Despite it being a member of the theropod clan that consisted mainly of carnivorous dinosaurs, ''Therizinosaurus and its kind are the only members to be strictly herbivores. Despite its looks, Therizinosaurus may have also traveled in whole herds. When mating or trying to defend its self, Therizinosaurus may have stood with its arms outstretched, like a swan flapping its wings, so that it could display the size of its claws. If this failed, it may have been able to take gentle swipes at any aggressors, although the weight of the claws would have limited their use as an effective weapon. When walking, Therizinosaurus ''probably folded its arms against its body, a bit like a bird, to stop the weight of the claws from unbalancing it. With its giant claws, long neck, bulbous body and small head, ''Therizinosaurus ''was one of the strangest-looking of all the dinosaurs. In Walking With... series Chased by Dinosaurs The Giant Claw ''Therizinosaurus was the focus of this episode. Initially described as a carnivore, it was slowly depicted as a plant-eater instead (though a theropod dinosaur all the same), that lived in family groups, fed on leaves, and was armed with huge arms and claws that could fight off even a Tarbosaurus. ''Walking With Dinosaurs: Inside Their World ''Therizinosaurus is one of the viewable dinosaurs in the app. Category:Chased by Dinosaurs Animals Category:Feathered dinosaurs Category:Bird-like dinosaurs Category:Herbivores Category:Cretaceous Animals Category:The Giant Claw animals Category:Animals from Asia Category:Long necked animals Category:Mesozoic animals Category:Walking with dinosaurs: inside their world Category:Coelurosaurs